Topic: Johnnymac's Much Too Early Car Buying Thread

[JohnnyMac]

For roads around here I'm thinking a BRZ would be just about ideal.  Nice compliant suspension and great handling, with just enough power to have fun without worrying about losing your license.    Wouldn't have said that about the last version.  Cayman and M2 would be nice as well but I always seem to veer towards the overachiever...lol  I think it looks better than the M2 as well.  EVO picked it as a finalist for their COTY awards for 2022.   Strangely enough the Lotus Elmira never even made the cut, which is quite telling as EVO is a British production. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgESfH3_4Pc&t=135s

I believe the Emira was not out or available for their end of year review.  Was it a BRZ or the Toyota version?

[JohnnyMac]

BRZ would be my pick. Base Cayman would be awesome as well. I don’t see the point of owning an M2 if you’re not going to track it.

Wouldn’t anything above a BRZ or Miata be a waste without track time.  If one was close by I likely would invest in some track tires, brake pads, etc and go a few times per year.  But there is really only autocross and one drag strip in NB.

[JohnnyMac]

Nismo Z will likely be out by 2025, no idea how many they'll make or how hard to get, but it would be lower on your budget.

I can not imagine Nissan being able to put enough lipstick on that pig to make it a decent modern sports car.  If you have history with Nissan and want a GT car I could get behind that, but I don’t and I can think of better GT cars.  Also, you can bet your ass it’ll be north of $70k for the Nismo.

[KD]

For roads around here I'm thinking a BRZ would be just about ideal.  Nice compliant suspension and great handling, with just enough power to have fun without worrying about losing your license.    Wouldn't have said that about the last version.  Cayman and M2 would be nice as well but I always seem to veer towards the overachiever...lol  I think it looks better than the M2 as well.  EVO picked it as a finalist for their COTY awards for 2022.   Strangely enough the Lotus Elmira never even made the cut, which is quite telling as EVO is a British production. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgESfH3_4Pc&t=135s

I believe the Emira was not out or available for their end of year review.  Was it a BRZ or the Toyota version?

Sorry, guess it was the GR86.  Is there much of a difference?  They did review the Elmira but didn't give it a glowing review. 

[HeliDriver]

BRZ would be my pick. Base Cayman would be awesome as well. I don’t see the point of owning an M2 if you’re not going to track it.

Wouldn’t anything above a BRZ or Miata be a waste without track time.  If one was close by I likely would invest in some track tires, brake pads, etc and go a few times per year.  But there is really only autocross and one drag strip in NB.

Yup. 

[Arthur Dent]

I'd go the other way and say anything above a BRZ or Miata WITH track time would just be a waste. Same experience just more expensive consumables.

[JohnnyMac]

For roads around here I'm thinking a BRZ would be just about ideal.  Nice compliant suspension and great handling, with just enough power to have fun without worrying about losing your license.    Wouldn't have said that about the last version.  Cayman and M2 would be nice as well but I always seem to veer towards the overachiever...lol  I think it looks better than the M2 as well.  EVO picked it as a finalist for their COTY awards for 2022.   Strangely enough the Lotus Elmira never even made the cut, which is quite telling as EVO is a British production. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rgESfH3_4Pc&t=135s

I believe the Emira was not out or available for their end of year review.  Was it a BRZ or the Toyota version?

Sorry, guess it was the GR86.  Is there much of a difference?  They did review the Elmira but didn't give it a glowing review.

There is some tuning difference between the BRZ and GR86.  I’m not sure if they didn’t include the Emira in that test due to it not being much of a contender or if it wasn’t available.  I believe all the reviews 8 have seen have been with the preproduction version.

[JohnnyMac]

I'd go the other way and say anything above a BRZ or Miata WITH track time would just be a waste. Same experience just more expensive consumables.

Yeah if I was really into tracking and being honest with my skill level, a used Miata or BRZ would be ideal for that purpose.

[rrocket]

I like the GR86.

Really, really fun....and consistently loads of aftermarket support all the way up to superchargers and turbos.

[JohnnyMac]

Got a mock quote from the BMW dealer, seems decent, only two things stood out, $225 for all weather mats, which I definitely didn’t ask for but would be open for if they are similar to weathertech floor liners.  The other is over $3,500 for freight and PDI.  Jesus Christ that is getting out of hand.  Had to go on the bmw.ca website to see if that is what BMW corporate charges.  Base model 2 series is something like $2,750 for it, so maybe the higher you go up in the range, the greater that amount gets?

But it was also typical sales guy, didn’t really listen to the terms I wanted, said I prefer 4 years but he gave me 5 and 6 years, both with $25k down and 8% interest rates.  Let’s hope that my downpayment is closer to $30k and the interest rate is a bit lower, 6-7% is what I used to see if it fits in budget.

[JohnnyMac]

I like the GR86.

Really, really fun....and consistently loads of aftermarket support all the way up to superchargers and turbos.

I like the GR86 too, more than BRZ, but not for the extra cost, and again, I HATE the Toyota dealer here.  I would not modify a vehicle with warranty.  Over the holidays I saw a last gen BRZ with a blown motor for cheap, figured if I got it for $5k, swap an LS V8 in it, and you got yourself a home made rocket ship.  But I am not even remotely close to being capable of doing such a thing, even with a full kit.  You can get this kind of swap done by a company in the states for $30k USD, then I would have to upgrade suspension, brakes, wheels and tires, after all that’s done, I’d be north of $50k.  Mind you, if you have the skills, can source used engine and powertrain, do everything yourself with a kit, you could get it done for likely $20k or more less.

[KD]

Got a mock quote from the BMW dealer, seems decent, only two things stood out, $225 for all weather mats, which I definitely didn’t ask for but would be open for if they are similar to weathertech floor liners.  The other is over $3,500 for freight and PDI.  Jesus Christ that is getting out of hand.  Had to go on the bmw.ca website to see if that is what BMW corporate charges.  Base model 2 series is something like $2,750 for it, so maybe the higher you go up in the range, the greater that amount gets?

But it was also typical sales guy, didn’t really listen to the terms I wanted, said I prefer 4 years but he gave me 5 and 6 years, both with $25k down and 8% interest rates.  Let’s hope that my downpayment is closer to $30k and the interest rate is a bit lower, 6-7% is what I used to see if it fits in budget.

My friend from Fredericton had a hell of a time buying his Z4 a couple of years ago.  Took him 5 dealers before he found a salesperson willing to order one for him.

[rrocket]

I like the GR86.

Really, really fun....and consistently loads of aftermarket support all the way up to superchargers and turbos.

I like the GR86 too, more than BRZ, but not for the extra cost, and again, I HATE the Toyota dealer here.  I would not modify a vehicle with warranty.  Over the holidays I saw a last gen BRZ with a blown motor for cheap, figured if I got it for $5k, swap an LS V8 in it, and you got yourself a home made rocket ship.  But I am not even remotely close to being capable of doing such a thing, even with a full kit.  You can get this kind of swap done by a company in the states for $30k USD, then I would have to upgrade suspension, brakes, wheels and tires, after all that’s done, I’d be north of $50k.  Mind you, if you have the skills, can source used engine and powertrain, do everything yourself with a kit, you could get it done for likely $20k or more less.

No, you don't need to mod a vehicle with warranty. But if you like the car a lot (or have another use in mind ie track/autocross), it can "grow" with you because of the massive aftermarket support.

Also...I still don't know why people think an LS swap is "cheap".  A minimum, quality, "budget" build is $15k or so (one that you'd actually feel good about having in the car).....unless you want to roll the dice with a junkyard gem.

Fun article/video:  https://motoiq.com/watch-how-much-does-an-ls-engine-build-cost/

[JohnnyMac]

I like the GR86.

Really, really fun....and consistently loads of aftermarket support all the way up to superchargers and turbos.

I like the GR86 too, more than BRZ, but not for the extra cost, and again, I HATE the Toyota dealer here.  I would not modify a vehicle with warranty.  Over the holidays I saw a last gen BRZ with a blown motor for cheap, figured if I got it for $5k, swap an LS V8 in it, and you got yourself a home made rocket ship.  But I am not even remotely close to being capable of doing such a thing, even with a full kit.  You can get this kind of swap done by a company in the states for $30k USD, then I would have to upgrade suspension, brakes, wheels and tires, after all that’s done, I’d be north of $50k.  Mind you, if you have the skills, can source used engine and powertrain, do everything yourself with a kit, you could get it done for likely $20k or more less.

No, you don't need to mod a vehicle with warranty. But if you like the car a lot (or have another use in mind ie track/autocross), it can "grow" with you because of the massive aftermarket support.

Also...I still don't know why people think an LS swap is "cheap".  A minimum, quality, "budget" build is $15k or so (one that you'd actually feel good about having in the car).....unless you want to roll the dice with a junkyard gem.

Fun article/video:  https://motoiq.com/watch-how-much-does-an-ls-engine-build-cost/

I wouldn’t own a new BRZ long enough for the warranty to be done.  What I was stating above was if you had the skills, tools, and a kit, you could take the $5k donor car, a wrecked Camaro or Vette engine and tranny, do all the other upgrades to brakes, suspension, tires and rims, you could likely have a fantastically sorted V8 BRZ for around $30k, which would be nice pic.  But for a unskilled person like me, it’d cost an extra $20k to get someone else to sort it out fully.

[KD]

Nismo Z will likely be out by 2025, no idea how many they'll make or how hard to get, but it would be lower on your budget.

Good call, forgot about that one. 

I was musing with the idea of getting a small sports coupe as a summer toy and now this thread has me interested again, so I might pilfer some of the ideas thrown around in here for my own interests. 

[Hammy]

Got a mock quote from the BMW dealer, seems decent, only two things stood out, $225 for all weather mats, which I definitely didn’t ask for but would be open for if they are similar to weathertech floor liners.  The other is over $3,500 for freight and PDI.  Jesus Christ that is getting out of hand.  Had to go on the bmw.ca website to see if that is what BMW corporate charges.  Base model 2 series is something like $2,750 for it, so maybe the higher you go up in the range, the greater that amount gets?

But it was also typical sales guy, didn’t really listen to the terms I wanted, said I prefer 4 years but he gave me 5 and 6 years, both with $25k down and 8% interest rates.  Let’s hope that my downpayment is closer to $30k and the interest rate is a bit lower, 6-7% is what I used to see if it fits in budget.

I just priced one up and contacted my local BMW dealer who says they have 4 on order! Freight and PDI should only be $2,495 unless they are also including the admin fee and whatnot in the $3,500, so that is a question mark. I was looking at included options and you get almost everything including things like heated steering wheel and seats in the $76,500 base price except the upgraded sound system which is in the modest by BMW standards premium package at $3,100.  This vehicle is definitely good bang for the buck at $80k in my opinion.  We have zero tracks here in Newfoundland but how cool and fun would it be to have an M2???

[JohnnyMac]

Nismo Z will likely be out by 2025, no idea how many they'll make or how hard to get, but it would be lower on your budget.

Good call, forgot about that one. 

I was musing with the idea of getting a small sports coupe as a summer toy and now this thread has me interested again, so I might pilfer some of the ideas thrown around in here for my own interests. 

By all means, it’s one of the reasons why I’m sharing this decision making.

[JohnnyMac]

Got a mock quote from the BMW dealer, seems decent, only two things stood out, $225 for all weather mats, which I definitely didn’t ask for but would be open for if they are similar to weathertech floor liners.  The other is over $3,500 for freight and PDI.  Jesus Christ that is getting out of hand.  Had to go on the bmw.ca website to see if that is what BMW corporate charges.  Base model 2 series is something like $2,750 for it, so maybe the higher you go up in the range, the greater that amount gets?

But it was also typical sales guy, didn’t really listen to the terms I wanted, said I prefer 4 years but he gave me 5 and 6 years, both with $25k down and 8% interest rates.  Let’s hope that my downpayment is closer to $30k and the interest rate is a bit lower, 6-7% is what I used to see if it fits in budget.

I just priced one up and contacted my local BMW dealer who says they have 4 on order! Freight and PDI should only be $2,495 unless they are also including the admin fee and whatnot in the $3,500, so that is a question mark. I was looking at included options and you get almost everything including things like heated steering wheel and seats in the $76,500 base price except the upgraded sound system which is in the modest by BMW standards premium package at $3,100.  This vehicle is definitely good bang for the buck at $80k in my opinion.  We have zero tracks here in Newfoundland but how cool and fun would it be to have an M2???

Well I went back to build a M4 on the website, freight and PDI was $2,795.  Hmmm, maybe he made a mistake, I chose to just ask him.  Or maybe he knows that the price across the board is going up and he wants to give worst case numbers.

I did option that package and the $100 black package thingy that appears to be black tailpipe tips which I would appreciate as there is nothing worse than chrome tips that always has black carbon buildup on them.

With the adaptive suspension I would think it would be pretty decent in NL.  Just set it to comfort and don’t sweat every bump and road imperfection.

[OliverD]

You know the M2 build and price is up, right?

[JohnnyMac]

You know the M2 build and price is up, right?

Yeah I didn't think I could see the Freight and PDI without that little financing section, but I guess I could just go to the summary, scroll to the bottom and see that it should be $2,795.